Sam H.
Google
Poor security and appalling attitude from the owner.
I came back to my room at lunch to find all the key card room doors propped open with garbage cans and no one in attendance. I was told it’s the hostel’s policy to wedge these fire doors open because the cleaners don’t have enough key cards. I asked what secured my belongings during the day and was told that it shouldn’t be a problem as other people already had their own things. I said that’s not on, and closed the door when they’d finished vacuuming.
I understand you take a small security risk in shared accommodation, but it’s usually amongst the people in your room and not the whole building. There are no lockers for your belongings. This is not appropriate.
The owner came up to talk to me and was immediately rude. He told me that propping the doors during the day is their policy, and that if I worked hard and saved one day I too might own my own hostel and could run it the way I liked. He scornfully told me that it wouldn’t be an issue if I was out during the day like the other guests (meaning everything would still be unsecured, I just wouldn’t have noticed).
They also demand writing your credit card number with expiration date on a slip of paper before checking in. This is despite paying with an eftpos machine anyway. In my 6 years of living and travelling in New Zealand, I have never been asked to do this. Hopefully they treat that slip with more respect than their guests and their belongings, but who knows.
Nice enough building, good location, poor security and terrible customer service from the owner.
Reply to owner:
I appreciate you confirming for three hours a day, every day, all guest belongings are unsecured for everyone staying at your hostel.
Twice you came into the room while I was there, once to speak to me and close a window and once to count beds since you lost track of who was sleeping where. If you came into the room at night while I was in bed, I was unaware.
Snarky comments about how a guest chooses to spend their time, oblivious to their schedule, really goes quite a long way to describe the type of customer service a person can expect if they end up interacting with you.
It is clear that you will not accept or consider any feedback that isn’t praise. Dunedin itself was great between the galleries, wildlife, museums, university and fringe festival. It was unfortunate to have the visit soured by a bad attitude that ignores legitimate concerns and instead chooses to belittle guests.
Summary: average building, good location, terrible security and some of the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. All one star reviews mention the same person. Stay here if you’re alright with your items being available for easy theft each day, and fingers crossed you don’t have to deal with the owner.
